Doing the happy dance

So while visiting Zindorf's blog... I case-d this cute, cute, too cute version of her oval punched vases. Just add a little ink shadow to the one side... I was doing the happy dance after creating these cards.... just love the look!!

Stash of stuff

It's been a busy week at school, we only have 6 days left and it seems like the teachers are trying to cram in tests and grading... plus we've had baseball games mowing, and garbage disposal mis-haps... so no NEW card making.

I thought though, I've never showed my blog my stash of creativity. The top picture is a variety of 'gifts' and their packaging. Folded gift card holders (totes) that I can pull out when someone has a special event and put in, anywhere from 4-10 cards with envelope. Also, a few 'gift' tins from the $1 bin Target mailboxes, perfect to put a gift card in, (also, there is a little tin with a handle). And the matching tote and 4 cards inside. These are a hit....

The second photo is my two plastic storage bins and the dividers I have to separate the cards into categories. The largest selection are the blank inside cards... any special occasion that is out of the norm, I can bring out one of those babies and personalize it to the occasion.

And finally, a thick covered box (I think 2 for $5 at Michaels)that I used when I had a few card shows... I thought all the color was an added bonus when I created my stunning display.

I haven't counted how many cards I have on hand... these storage places don't include cards that are not in season, and I also have a small 3 ring binder with cards to show.

Thanks for looking!! Need a card?

Little Tidbits

No card today.... sorry to my fan out there Kim, and Heather too! It sounds funny to just have A fan.... I guess I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself..... any hoo ... read on a few other blogs about being tagged... it's when you answer questions about yourself and then list who you might think would answer them also....I won't make anyone do that... but just passing along free info....

What was I doing 10 years ago...
I had a 4 and 2 year old and was probably in the best shape of my life ... going to the local YMCA and working out every day and staying for swimming with the kids... play dates by the pool for lunch and then going home for long afternoon naps.

Five snacks I enjoy...
pistachio nuts
Doritos - Taco Flavor
Pretzels dipped in mustard
Warm Tortilla chips and salsa
chocolate

Five things on my to do list....
Paint 3 bathrooms
Clean out clothes that no longer fit or I don't wear
Plant a few more annuals
Put up the framed album covers in the basement
Wash the grime off the side of the house and windows

Five Places I've lived...
Crystal Lake, IL
Franksville, WI
Murfreesboro, TN
Racine, WI
Oak Creek, WI

If I was a Billionaire...
I wouldn't by typing here on my blog
I'd create a college scholarship fund to a few worthy students who really wanted to attend school
I'd have just the right size house and land and 'toys' probably on a quiet piece of water that never has bugs

Five Bad habits....
I complain too much
Although I'm not lazy.... I tend to accumulate piles "of stuff" that I just can't seem to get rid of
I write words on my dusty furniture...(I'm sure no one else sees them)
I over react when people drive horribly, especially when they don't use their turn signal
I eat over my computer typepad

Six Random things....
I like to be right, I admit when I'm wrong, I bet on sure things and I follow rules and the obey the law... nice guys finish last.
Thinking back, I think my favorite subject in college was Art History
I took my first airplane trip at age 22... my daughter took her first trip at 6 months
I love to people watch
I've been making greeting cards in some way shape or form, for over 20 years
I had braces and wore glasses at the same time in 9th grade... oh my... the late 70's early 80's.... what a time!

Learn anything? Other than I'm a type A personality that doesn't know how to have fun? It's okay, I learned it's hip to be square.... or that I'm a Square Peg!

Cooper

Okay, although I've made a ton of cards recently, either I put them all away (in my card stash) or they were made for a purpose, thus showcased already. So, I will go back into my blog archives and post an oldie, but a cutie.... a picture of Cooper the dog! I don't know if it is the heat today(got up to 80 in the shade) or playing with the Boxer named Sammie, who lives another street... but Cooper is dog tired. He is just lounging and shulumping from pillow to pillow, from inside his kennel to out on the porch. Sissy and I always oooh and ahhh over him, telling him what a 'handsome boy' he is. At times he loves the fussing... but most the time he just gets up and walks away from us! Cooper is our true cat dog....

More Charley cards are in the house!

Charley's mom needed a little stash of cards. So, here are a few I whipped up this week.

Check out my Slide Show!

Order Request

Ten graduation cards. The personalized one is for her son. She gave me all the school colors, tried my best with the materials on hand. Because I get bored with the same thing over and over, each card is of course a bit different. Congrats grads!

Check out my Slide Show!

Case-d my own card

I was looking at posts from more than a year ago and saw this cute polar bear card, his head and ears are punched circles, so I decided to case my own card. I've seen others do this, make a card different than the original, re-create it, so to speak. I'm inspired every day to create cards, there is just not enough time, now I have to blog hop, look at galleries, look through magazines and case my own cards from a year ago! This card also includes the side slot closure. Maybe you'll see more of my own casing of my case-d work. Does that make sense? More to come!

Baseball and the Boy

Bubba had his first baseball game of the season yesterday. Here are a few shots! Grandpa used his zoom on his digital camera, I want one of those!!! An SLR digital to go with many Canon good camera lenses. Maybe today DH and I will buy one, since it's our 18th Anniversary!!!

Anyhow... Bubba had a great game! They won, 11 to 10 in extra innings, he caught a diving catch in right field to get a 3rd out, in the last inning he created a RBI bunt and then scored the winning run to end the game! It was really fun to watch.... the team voted him to get the game winning ball. Wow,that was a first. Now off to wash those white pants!!

Fun, fun, fun

Man, I just had the bestest post about this card and my blog space would not accept it, so now I have to try and type my great thought once again! This card is inspired off of SCS and Tater's blog, where she describes it from Zindorf's blog. And you can only understand what I'm saying if you are a card making blog hopper!!! This technique is using light to dark inks and smearing them into each other. I used acrylic craft paint to get the white foamy affect. Flip flops are drawn, cut out and then popped up. I so love being inspired. This technique is so easy to do, but I would not think about it unless inspired by the great card artists out there!
It has been a good card day!
PS - do you ever actually click on the picture??? If you do, it brings you close up to the card and you can see any little mistakes I make, or you can really see the blending and the ink color. This is so cool!

More pigtails!!!

Okay, I think this was the look for me when I was young, pigtails.
I just went to find a picture of Sissy, just real quick in a photo book, no digitals back then 10 years ago, but here's one of her... she's always was in ponytails.

Who?

This card is totally case-d from Markie's Mom. Although hers is a stamped image, I drew mine. I just can't get over her layers, and her dotted framed layers. Her cards are amazingly wonderful. I keep looking for more and new background patterned paper because I want to incoporate all these cool designs and layouts... I am having fun creatively. All parts of the owl and the branch with leaves are cut out and then popped up. I also added leaves to the background to give even more depth.

Braids

This is one of a series of pictures I love...
A. My hair is braided
B. I love this outfit, along with my corrective sadle shoes. I'm probably a little over 2 years old.

Sunny Bella Birthday

After trying to add another picture of me from my past, I decided to just upload a recently made card. So, here she is!!! I tried to have some of the happy birthday's faintly in the background, but don't think they showed up real well. I like cutting out images to make them 'pop' out a bit!

Lighthouse

I love this image from SU! my version drawn. I case-d this card off of SCS and just love the blue, yellow and red combination... and the layers are fun. I think this would be a good manly card!
Happy Mother's Day, to you mothers out there in blog land!

Hey Bird!

I believe these two are case-d images from Whipper Snapper designs. I love the cat and bird one, and the layering of SU! punch outs with sentiment. I guess I like matted/layered cards... I really don't have that many that are just a single image on the card stock. I truly like Markie's Mom's cards. I think her blog is in one of my favorites. I remember one of her first cards I saw.... there were about 11 layers on the the front of a card... her stuff is adorable with all the dots.

Me at one

See, I'm a true blond, even as a baby!!! This is me with my little piggy tails at around age one!!

Twice folded card

Here's my attempt at the twice folded card from SCS. I really couldn't understand the directions that one of the members posted... so I had to look and look at all the different gallery uploads. I like how it turned out, but too much work for a card. This will really have to go to someone special.

Random Choice

Well, I thought it would be fun to have a blast from the past. DH and I put over 600 slides on disk. Here is one of me "Prom, June 1982!" I tried to randomly choose a photo from the disk, but kept picking pictures that would be too hard to figure out {so this is random choice #8). Plus the quality of some of my photos from way back when, yikes!! This is a good theme pic right now, since it is prom season. I recall my dress was 'gently used' and I got it for $10. I loved my permed hair at the time. Although I love being frugal now, I can't imagine the costs of proms and weddings if you paid 'full' price for just the right thing!!! I am right out of the 80's don't you think?

Too too cute!

If I do say so myself. Here's an image case-d from a card and Whipper Snapper Designs.... a worm on a hook... hang in there! I didn't want the typical blue water background, but used my cuttlebug with the bubbles to get a better affect! I guess I'll have to give the card to someone who is having a tough day! Sad to say, I know lots of people like that!! Not me, not today, the sun is out, the birds are chirping its a great day!

Two more images by Judith

Here are two more cards with images of Stamps by Judith. Her animals are so cute. I especially like the little chick... they are so easy to draw with a few short choppy lines, a few swirls and your done! I'm having fun trying to get the flower pot shading going right. Thanks Kim, as usual, for all the nice comments. The last posting you liked the basket card... no, I didn't think of making it a mother's day card.. I have a few in my stash, but since business is slow... no one has been asking... I believe I just have a simple birthday greeting inside. I'm giving more cards away as gifts than card fans are buying.... but I still love creating a new cards almost every day!!

Spring Basket

This image is case-d from Stamps by Judith. I go back to her book ever so often. Drawing her images are a little more intense, more detail and more shading. That gives me a good challenge when I've had a hard day. I just lose my mind in drawing. At one point in time I have done basket weaving and floral design... so what a nice way to tie that into card making. Thanks for looking